Just one year ago, Tokyo Ramen Street opened in the First Avenue Tokyo Station retail center, which includes about 100 stores and restaurants….Eight of the best were invited to open at Tokyo Ramen Street, and the response has been stunning….With historic male appeal (though that’s changing), the ramen restaurants are mostly filled with salarymen (businessmen) in their ubiquitous white shirts and dark gray jackets—some wearing paper aprons to protect from oil stains. They wait patiently in the long lines, utilizing the time to message on their cellphones. Waiting times exceed eating times, as some say you should slurp your noodles and soup in seven minutes so that the ramen doesn’t get soft. And then it’s back to the hustle-and-bustle of work life.

Pictured is shio ramen from Hirugao. Many more photos in the slideshow at the Serious Eats story, here.

When people ask about my recent trip to Japan, I’ve been joking that during my short, eight-day stay, I enjoyed four bowls of ramen and survived one earthquake.

Those four bowls of ramen are just scratching the surface of my feeding frenzy in Tokyo. In addition to some delicious home-cooking with friends and family, I enjoyed delicious Japanese pastries, a couple of izakaya meals, katsu-kar? (deep-fried breaded pork cutlet with curry sauce), katsuo donburi teishoku (skipjack tuna over rice set menu), yaki zakana teishoku (grilled fish set menu) kaiten-zushi (conveyor belt sushi), traditional sushi, and more.

My favorite meal of this trip, though, was at Sojuan—a kaiseki-style restaurant in the Keio Plaza Hotel. (Note that there’s a wide variety of restaurants inside the hotel—from French to Chinese to Italian to Korean—inside the hotel, as well a few very comfortable, scenic, and historical bars and lounges.) Kaiseki is a traditional, multi-course meal that is stunning in presentation and carefully composed in terms of looks, flavors, colors, textures, and seasonality. Dishes, bowls, and other vessels are beautiful and purposeful, with leaves and flowers connecting food to nature, and edible garnishes typically depicting fauna and flora.

The Keio Plaza Hotel is a monstrous, classical hotel (a bit institutional) with 1,435 guest rooms in the busy Shinjuku district of Tokyo. But make your way to Sojuan on the second floor, and you’ll feel like you’ve entered another world—natural and peaceful. And if you’re lucky enough, like me, to take your meal in one of the koshitsu (private dining rooms), you’ll feel further tranquility. (This is the quiet atmosphere I complain that Capitol Hill’s Momiji is lacking to allow full appreciation of kaiseki quality food.)

The nakai-san, a kimono-clad server, will be yours—attentive to your needs, including the timing of your dishes. Gently knocking before sliding open the shoji door, she’ll gracefully remove dishes, present new plates (sometimes portioning out food), pour tea, and anything else you need. In a society without tips, service is par excellence.

I had a chance after the meal to speak briefly (via translation) with chef Hiroichi Yazaki:

How long does it take to become a kaiseki chef?

I started working at the low level as an apprentice at a ryotei restaurant in Asakusa when I was 18. I worked there for two years and did everything helping the chef—like shopping, cleaning, and making a bath for him. Then I moved to a kappo restaurant in Kanda and worked there for two years, doing all the yaki (grilled) dishes. Eventually I moved a high-end Japanese restaurant in Shinbashi where I had to do everything by myself: ordering, preparing, cooking…everything. In general, it takes 20-30 years to become a top level chef in traditional Japanese cuisine, but it depends on the person. Maybe young people right now have a different experience. It used to be more strict, but it’s changing.

How often do you change the menu, and how long does it take to create it?

The menu changes every month. Mostly it takes about two weeks to create, but I’m thinking about it every day. I’m always thinking about work. Even when I’m commuting, I’m thinking.

What is your favorite season for food?

Autumn to winter, because we get many different kinds of ingredients during that period. It’s also an easy time for decorating and plating because, for example, the momiji (Japanese maple leaves) are available. Presentation at this time is fun.

When did you know you wanted to become a chef?

I’m from Kagoshima. My uncle was a chef, so I started to think of this kind of work as a high school student. I helped my uncle at his traditional Japanese restaurant.

What is your favorite food to eat when you go out?

Kyoto-ryori (the food of Kyoto), ippin-ryori (Japanese small plates), and also kaiseki to learn new things. But mostly washoku (traditional-style Japanese food).

(Pointing to his uniform) Do you wear a tie when cooking in the kitchen?

I have a tie because in the kitchen there are 40-50 people working, so wearing a tie is a symbol of the head chef.

***

I commented that it must be too hot in the kitchen for a tie, and he indicated that he’d never complain. That’s the Japanese way. Aiming to please.

At this point, the nakai-san told the chef that we had polished off all of our plates. Both were surprised, and he was quite pleased.

Part of the starter: endomame tofu (tofu texture, made from endomame peas) with crab and kabocha butterfly (along with wasabi and a sansho leaf)

The overall starter, which includes yamabudo-su (wild grape vinegar) on the right, along with a fava bean, avocado, and cream cheese mixture with chopped shrimp and fried lotus root

Clear soup with tofu and shirauo (”ice fish”)

Sashimi in an ice bowl: hirame and hirame fin, sayori, and maguro

Broiled course includes yaki amadai (grilled “tile fish”), takenoko (bamboo) with ginger, moro miso eschalot (shallot with miso paste), and Japanese beef with rock salt

Nakai-san plates the broiled course

The broiled course, plated–note the vessels, leaves, etc.

Prawn, anago, and wild plant tempura served with salt, ground daikon, and tsuyu–the plants include taranome (bud of the angelica tree), fiddlehead fern, and udo (Japanese spikenard)

Steamed awabi (abalone) with seaweed paste (thickened dashi)

Steamed rice with fava beans and sakura ebi–this course came with miso soup (akadashi) and tsukemono (Japanese pickles), along with hoji cha, signifying the end of the meal approaching

Dessert: kabocha mousse, matcha spongecake, and melon (I joke that it’s a one hundred dollar melon, as I saw such at the stores…they taste amazing!)

Matcha (green tea) and wasanbon (sugar candy,to counter the tea’s bitterness)

Entry to Sojuan

The path to the koshitsu (private dining room)

Inside a koshitsu–tranquility for the meal

Outings to the Portland Art Museum, the Lan Su Chinese Garden, and OMSI would provide immense stimulation for the eyes, while visits to bakeries, coffee shops, and restaurants around town would again prove to be a feast for all the senses.

Rothko and Other Sites in the Rose City

Marcus Rothkowitz was born in Russian-controlled Dvinsk (now Daugavpils, Latvia) in 1903. Fleeing Czarist Russia, his father and eventually two brothers emigrated to the United States, settling in Portland. Marcus, along with his mother and his sister, came to the U.S. in 1913. Rothko would eventually graduate from Portland’s Lincoln High School, move to New York and become an artist, and have his first solo show in 1933—at the Portland Art Museum.

(Right: Marcus Rothkowitz turned Mark Rothko, self-portrait, courtesy of Portland Art Museum.)

Now, nearly 80 years later, the Portland Art Museum is hosting an exhibition of 45 of Mark Rothko’s paintings, dating from the late 1920’s (including some early figurative works) to shortly before his death in 1970. One of America’s foremost artists of the twentieth century, he was typically described (much to his dismay) as an abstract expressionist. Standing before some of the large canvases, it’s hard to not be drawn in to the bold colors and the emotions that lie beneath them.

The Rothko exhibit will be at the Portland Art Museum until May 27. If you wait until the last-minute, you can also catch the start of the Portland Rose Festival.

We were too early to enjoy the glory of the International Rose Test Garden, but we did visit the Lan Su Chinese Garden, which is an oasis of tranquility inside the city. If you have time, you might choose to take tea here, overlooking the pavilion and the lake.

And for childhood fun, we went to OMSI: the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry. Here we watched Born to Be Wild, an IMAX movie about orphaned orangutans and elephants, and the extraordinary people who rescue and raise them. We also enjoyed a tour of the USS Blueback submarine, the U.S. Navy’s last non-nuclear, fast-attack submarine. The submarine was featured in The Hunt for Red October, and a tour is more fascinating than expected in learning about the seamen’s life below the sea. (Tough conditions, but the food was actually pretty good, according to the guide.) Other highlights at OMSI were an interactive wellness exhibit and an intriguing LEGO art gallery.

Restaurants Provide a Feeding Frenzy in Portland

(Note: Check the gallery, below, for lots of food photos.)

The ever-increasing number of quality restaurants always makes Portland a culinary destination. Seattle’s great, no doubt. But our southern neighbor has been on the rise. In fact, for two years running, Portland has outscored Seattle in the number of nominations for James Beard Foundation Best Chef: Northwest Award.

One of the chefs is Chris Israel of Gruner, where I took a solo meal. I was struggling with order options, watching what was coming to other tables. Some portions looked small, so based on my server’s recommendation, I went with the much-talked about Gruner burger. This big boy exploded like a Mount Hood eruption, juices almost hitting the people at the adjoining table. Good flavor in the house-ground beef, though overall the burger was just a little too salty for my taste—perhaps due to the otherwise delicious Nueske bacon. The Fontina cheese was a nice addition. And I liked the fried smashed potatoes (and homemade ketchup) on the side, though three seemed just a little skimpy.

Another of Portland’s Beard-nominated chefs is Cathy Whims. Based on past experience, I knew that Nostrana is a fabulous place for Italian food, so I decided to try her new Oven & Shaker. It’s a fairly simple concept made even simpler at happy hour, when you can enjoy low-priced pizzas. How about a Nostrana salad (love the radicchio) with a Margherita pizza ($7) and one with bosc pear, taleggio, speck, and leeks? The pizzas are cracker thin, so they’re not as filling as they look. Tasty and with interesting topping options, though I recall liking the pizzas at Nostrana even better. Still, a great spot and so close to Powell’s.

Incidentally, Naomi Pomeroy is the other Portland Beard nominee. I enjoyed a meal at her restaurant, Beast, during a previous visit. The same with Le Pigeon, whose chef, Gabriel Rucker, was last year’s national winner for the James Beard Rising Star Chef of the Year. This time I checked out his new restaurant: Little Bird. It’s more of a quintessential French bistro—and it’s extremely popular, so reservations are highly recommended. My food was fabulous, particularly my porcini and black garlic soup with sage pesto, and a charcuterie plate highlighted by foie gras brulee. Amazing. So many chefs and food lovers I met in Portland rave about this charcuterie plate, and Little Bird in general.

Staying with the bird theme, another meal was at Aviary, which suffered from a kitchen fire last year but is back in business. Even with a reservation, the wait was long, but that helped me build up my appetite. The food was pretty solid, full of interesting flavor combinations—often with Asian influences. I enjoyed hamachi tartare, chestnut soup, zucchini charlotte, four cup chicken, and my favorite dish of the night: crispy pig ear with coconut rice, Chinese sausage, and avocado. This dish had lots of interesting flavors and textures. I’d like to replicate it at home, though I’d probably use regular rice instead of coconut rice for less sweetness.

I managed to save just a little stomach space for ice cream at Salt & Straw, just down the block from Aviary. Their line was long pre-dinner, and it only got worse as the night wore on, winding around the corner at the eleven o’clock hour. But I waited and was rewarded with scoops of pear with blue cheese, and honey balsamic strawberry with cracked pepper. This was some of the best ice cream I’ve had in ages. (Yes, I sampled their famous bone marrow and smoked cherry ice cream, but I’ll take my bone marrow straight out of the bone with parsley, thank you.)

After Oven & Shaker and Salt & Straw, it made sense to make one other “ampersanded” stop: Beaker & Flask. This late night stop offers even more fabulous food, accompanied by fascinating drinks. I enjoyed my Salt & Pepper—with gin, Peychaud’s bitters, grapefruit, lime and salted rim—and noshed on three dishes: (1) pork cheeks with braised peppers and onions, pickled octopus, and aioli, (2) fried chicken livers with radicchio, Brussels sprouts, squash, chestnut cream, and sherry gastrique, and (3) roasted cauliflower with candied hazelnuts, Calabrian chiles, and parmesan broth. That parmesan broth was packed with flavor, and my favorite dish of the group.

Late nights with drinks mean mornings with coffee, and what better place than Coava? The setting is special, the beans are the best (and always changing, depending on supply), and the workers know what they’re doing. I tried a drip coffee (La Guachoca, from El Salvador, strong with caramel and cacao notes) from their metal filter, as well as an Americano (San Rafael, from Guatemala, more fruity). Afterward, I sent a Seattle friend who’s a finicky coffee drinker, and he’s already addicted, now ordering Coava’s beans by mail. Many people say this is the best coffee in Portland, and their awards just might prove it.

At Coava, I had a Nuvrei croissant. It was flaky, but a little soft and airy. (Maybe it wasn’t as fresh as it should have been, delivered and sitting in the case?) Far better was the almond croissant with chocolate that I got right at the Nuvrei bakery. I also tried a croissant from Little T American Baker, which was crispy on the outside, but not quite flaky or buttery enough. Better here was the kouign amman. And best was the chocolate doughnut, which the worker recommended as the best bite for anyone who likes chocolate.

I ate that doughnut right after a brunch nibble at Mi Mero Mole—the new Mexican restaurant by Nick Zukin of the beloved Kenny & Zuke’s, where I’ve had a pastrami and chopped liver sandwich in the past. At Mi Mero Mole, after much contemplation (and dismay that menudo was off the menu), I settled on a quesadilla of lengua en mole Coca Cola. The quesadilla was well-prepared, and “light” enough for me to enjoy the lengua filling, but the mole was just a touch too sweet. The worker appreciated the feedback, saying the mole is a work-in-progress. Mi Mero Mole es muy interesante, and worth watching.

For a bigger brunch one day, I went to Accanto. It’s a pleasant, cheery space for a daylight meal. Nettle soup was a good starter, followed by tripe alla Romagna with poached eggs and my favorite dish of the meal: duck hash with root vegetables, broccolini, and more poached eggs. The root vegetables were cooked just right, each bite providing a slightly different burst of flavor.

One final meal to discuss: dinner at St. Jack. This corner restaurant is extremely cozy, especially the two-top in the front window. (It was a little weird to watch the workers sit on the sidewalk smoking toward the end of the night.) It’s another Portland restaurant serving solid food, from a perfectly cooked mackerel salad starter to fried tripe with caper and red onion mayonnaise to a very rich and delicious fisherman’s stew (the trout roe in the stew completes the dish). Best of the night, though, was the Lyonnaise onion tart, with caramelized onions, leeks, and goat cheese—topped with a poached egg. The sweetness of those caramelized onions could have almost qualified this as dessert, but since the restaurant is a patisserie by day, I saved space for a fun coconut gateau with meyer lemon curd, coconut, tarragon sorbet, and blood orange supremes.

Oh…and to go? Next to Little Bird is Bunk, where I asked for a road-worthy sandwich, concerned about durability and perishability. My muffaletta was massive (see the coin for scale in the photo gallery, below), making my next leg of my trip a stomach-filled one—much like my entire time in Portland.

Now, if you’re wondering, after all my trips to Portland, what are my top recommendations? I’d say Broder for breakfast, Coava for coffee, Lardo (combined with The Sugar Cube) for decadent eats, Biwa for ramen and more, Tanuki for amazing non-sushi omakase (and crazy experience), and Little Bird or Le Pigeon for great dinner. Maybe HA+VL for Vietnamese soup if fighting a hangover. Hmm…that would be an amazing 24 hours of eating!

Rest at the Hilton Portland & Executive Tower

Featuring another ampersand, the Hilton Portland & Executive Tower consists of two buildings diagonally across from each other: the Hilton Portland main building with 455 guest rooms and suites, and the Hilton Portland Executive Tower with 327 boutique-style guest rooms. The Executive Tower (pictured, right, photo courtesy of Hilton Portland & Executive Tower) would be our base for stay, providing comfort and convenience. It’s an easy and free ride from the Amtrak station to the hotel (we actually walked it in about 15 minutes) using MAX Light Rail, which also provides easy 45-minute ride to the airport for $2.40. There’s no need for a car in Portland, as it’s a very walkable city, with public transportation easy to negotiate for more distant places. And just steps from the Hilton you’ll find the Portland Art Museum, Pioneer Place Shopping Mall, food carts, and plenty of restaurants.

If you don’t want to go out, there’s a restaurant in each of the Hilton buildings. Porto Terra Tuscan Grill & Bar is in the Hilton Executive Tower, while Hilton Portland is home of Bistro 921. In fact, Bistro 921 is where I was introduced to Hilton’s new national breakfast menu. Check here for photos and description of some of those dishes, as well as a few of the lunch offerings at Porto Terra.

Welcome to the Rothko exhibit!

Rothko, Untitled (photo courtesy of Portland Art Museum)

Contrast at the Lan Su Chinese Garden

USS Blueback submarine at OMSI

The kitchen on the USS Blueback

An example of the fascinating LEGO art at OMSI

The groaning Gruner burger…beware the volcanic eruption!

Inside Oven & Shaker

Nostrana salad at Oven & Shaker

Oven & Shaker’s margherita pizza

Oven & Shaker’s pizza with bosc pear, taleggio, speck, and leeks

Porcini and black garlic soup with sage pesto at Little Bird

Little Bird’s charcuterie plate: At 12:00 is chicken liver mousse, to the right is pork rillette, then smoked pork tenderloin, next crispy trotter croquette, and finally an amazing foie gras brulee with apricot-Sauternes jam

Aviary’s hamachi tartare with scallion, fuji apple, and mentaiko

Aviary’s chestnut soup with crème fraiche, brussels sprouts, and bottarga

Aviary’s zucchini charlotte with green beans, oil-cured olives, smoked tomato consomme

Inside Aviary’s zucchini charlotte

Aviary’s four cup chicken with taro root, dried apricot and truffle, and wood ear mushrooms

Aviary’s crispy pig ear with coconut rice, chinese sausage, and avocado (fascinating!)

Salt & Straw ice cream: honey balsamic strawberry with cracked pepper on the left, pear with blue cheese on the right

Get in the spirit at Beaker and Flask (photo courtesy of Torsten Kjellstrand/Travel Portland)

Beaker & Flask’s pork cheeks with braised peppers and onions, pickled octopus, and aioli

Beaker & Flask’s fried chicken livers with radicchio, Brussels sprouts, squash, chestnut cream, and sherry gastrique

Beaker & Flask’s roasted cauliflower with candied hazelnuts, Calabrian chiles, and parmasean broth

Drip coffee service at Coava

A beautiful breakfast pairing at Coava (croissant from Nuvrei)

Inside Nuvrei’s croissant

Almond croissant with chocolate at Nuvrei

Croissant and kouign amman at Little T American Baker

Inside Little T’s croissant

Chocolate doughnut decadence from Little T

Mi Mero Mole’s quesadilla of lengua en mole Coca Cola

Inside Mi Mero Mole’s quesadilla

Accanto’s nettle soup

Accanto’s tripe alla Romagna with poached eggs

Accanto’s duck hash with root vegetables, broccolini, and poached eggs

St. Jack’s mackerel salad starter

St. Jack’s fried tripe with caper and red onion mayonnaise

St. Jack’s fisherman’s stew with scallops, oysters, clams, trout roe, and leeks

St. Jack’s Lyonnaise onion tart, with caramelized onions, leeks, and goat cheese—topped with a poached egg

St. Jack’s coconut gateau with meyer lemon curd, coconut, tarragon sorbet, and blood orange supremes

Bunk’s massive muffaletta sandwich

Executive Tower guest room (photo courtesy of Hilton Portland & Executive Tower)

Art and transport intersect (photo courtesy of Torsten Kjellstrand/Travel Portland)

When I’m on the lecture circuit (i.e., business travel), I’m loyal to the Hilton family of hotels. My number of stays earns enough points to enjoy a fairly lengthy stay at the Tokyo Hilton when I make my visits to Japan. In Tokyo, breakfast in the Executive Lounge means miso soup, onsen tamago, natto, rice, and much more as part of a traditional Japanese breakfast. (I seem to be the only Caucasian eating all of that food, as the others are doing doughnuts, cereal, bread, etc. from the Western breakfast buffet.)

Here in the United States, Hilton is unveiling an updated breakfast menu, and I was lucky to get a sneak peek just last month at Bistro 921, one of the property’s two restaurants:

Eggs Bennie: two poached eggs and shaved ham on a savory bread pudding with hollandaise sauce (the “overnight tomato,” marinated in balsamic and herbs, was especially delicious)

Vegetable Frittata: egg-white or eggs with grilled onions, roasted peppers and goat cheese served with side of red bliss potatoes, asparagus, oven-fired tomatoes, and green tomatillo sauce

Rum Raisin French Toast: brioche raisin bread topped with rum raisin sauce, garnished with cinnamon whipped cream (a fun dish for French toast lovers)

Lemony Griddle Cake: blueberry compote, powdered sugar, and garnished with candied lemon zest

Fresh Fruit Plate: fresh seasonal fruit tossed in lime-scented honey, served with banana nut bread

Steel Cut Oatmeal: served with raisins and brown sugar (fun, modern presentation!)

Granola Yogurt Parfait: nonfat Greek yogurt, wildflower honey, almond granola, cherry compote

Bistro 921’s dining room (Photo courtesy of Hilton Portland & Executive Tower)

At Porto Terra in the Executive Tower, Chef Marissa Burback showed off some of her dishes as well:

Insalata Romesco: spicy mixed greens, romesco vinaigrette, white beans, crispy prosciutto, Rogue smoked blue cheese, toasted almonds

Butternut Ravioli: roasted root vegetables, marsala cream, hazelnuts, goat cheese (earthy and delicious)

Diavolo: spaghetti, prawns, calamari, yellowfin tuna, spicy tomato sauce, spinach (nice spice level!)

Tiramisu: marsala & espresso ladyfingers, mascarpone, chocolate, seasonal fruit

A look inside Porto Terra (Photo courtesy of Hilton Portland & Executive Tower)

For those who don’t want to go out and explore Portland’s culinary scene, the culinary scene comes to you with convenience in either of the hotel’s restaurants.

Most famous is Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana. Frank Pepe is the original pizza restaurant in New Haven, open since 1925. I believe it is one of the most important/iconic pizza places to visit in the United States. That list would also include Di Fara Pizza in Brooklyn (my favorite), Pizzeria Bianco in Phoenix, and the original Pizzeria Uno (or whatever it’s called these days; the name changes aren’t helping its status) in Chicago. The James Beard Foundation named Frank Pepe an “American Classic” in 1999.

Apizza is thin-crust, similar to Neapolitan but, as Frank Pepe claims, that crust is both crisp and chewy. While most of us are familiar with pies topped with tomato sauce and mozzarella, apizza has grated pecorino romano, but mozzarella is a requested topping—called a “mootz” pie.

I hadn’t been to Frank Pepe in about fifteen years, and was happy to slide into one of the hallmark wooden booths. And I was anxious to see my pizza slide into a white-tiled, coal-fired brick oven. But what to order? Dining solo, I was pleased to know I could customize a small pie, getting half “mootz” and half the infamous white clam.

Frank Pepe used to sell shucked clams outside the restaurant. Clams made their way to the pizza, but that white clam pizza is only available when the clams are fresh. Note that the clams are unshelled, but still fairly moist, and that the only other ingredients are olive oil, grated cheese, oregano, and garlic—LOTS of garlic. Have a toothbrush handy!

The pizza is indeed thin, more cracker-like than my preferred New York style and lacking the same cheesy chewiness, but still delicious with less bubbles and more charring. Eight slices were filling, but I still enjoyed a generous salad on the side. And locally-made Foxon Park soda still in a glass bottle. I’ve sampled birch, cream, and more, and this time went with Gassosa—natural lemon flavor.

Locally, I understand that Tutta Bella just started selling a clam pie (the clams are still in their shells), perhaps an homage to Frank Pepe’s version. While we don’t seem to have an exact New Haven style here in Seattle, I recommend pies at places like Delancey, Via Tribunali, Flying Squirrel, Serious Pie, and Queen Margherita, to name a few. And stay tuned, as soon I’ll be exploring some pizza by the slice to add to my list of suggestions.

A sign of good pizza ahead

The kitchen

Working in the kitchen (note the huge peels and paddles!)

My salad and Foxon Park soda

Finally, there’s the pizza again: half white clam, and half “mootz”

For lunch, J. Betski’s would be the perfect place for something different. The eastern European menu attracted me, particularly the pierogies, as I’ve been preparing some at home recently. Unfortunately, the liverwurst pierogies with fennel marmalade and sage brown butter were no longer on the menu, and with a desire to try some house-made sausage, I went with a combination platter that included sauerkraut. This tilted my choice away from mushroom and cabbage as the filling, going instead with potato and cheese. Lightly pan-fried, the pair of them were delicious, the filling creamy and a little sour cream adding to the fatty delight. Both half-sausages were good, though I preferred the bite of the smoked kielbasa over the bratwurst, and I enjoyed alternating between two mustards.

Contemplating the dessert menu, I realized what I really wanted to round out the meal: the roasted beet salad from the regular menu. The toasted pumpkinseed oil was a perfect dressing for the greens, and I loved the tower of beet rounds layered with horseradish quark. The dish was perfectly savory with just the right amount of sweetness.

Slightly sick but in a dumpling mood, I took a light dinner at David’s Dumpling and Noodle Bar. I started with “David’s original half-fried dumplings” ($5.50), which the server said were filled with pork and cabbage. These were more like dense meatballs (with very little in the vegetable department) inside a house-made wrapper. The frying crisped them nicely without being overdone, but overall, the dumplings were quite heavy. I asked afterward about these, and was told that “we make them to satisfy American tastes.”

I thought some soup would help fight my cold, and my eye caught pork, pickled turnip, and ginger noodle soup on the menu. This warmed me up nicely, and hopefully the ginger helped, but the soup was also a bit on the heavy side. The restaurant itself is quite contemporary with the central bar area a focal point.

Pushing the envelope a bit, I decided that happy hour at a new place called Kapow! would be a less threatening way to sample some Asian dishes that would be new to a couple of my family members. Prices were very reasonable at three dollars per plate, and beer wouldn’t hurt!

Located at Mizner Park, Kapow! is a pretty hip place with an interesting mural as the showpiece. But taking advantage of Florida weather, we chose to eat outside, and worked our way through a good portion of the happy hour menu:

Shishitou peppers with crab & cheese stuffing, panko breading, and sweet and sour sauce

Seasonal pickles with apple cider vinegar

Crispy chicken skin with parmesan crisp and green beans

Pan-seared beef gyoza with sweet and sour sauce

Steamed buns with pork belly and pickled cucumbers, with grain mustard hoison sauce

Steamed buns with maitake mushroom, served with garlic soy sauce and scallions

Steamed shrimp dumplings (shumai) with chili pepper soy sauce and chives

Sauteed green beans with garlic and soy sauce

My family enjoyed a “different” kind of dining experience for them. My favorite dish was the shishitou peppers. Coming from Seattle, I found some of the food rather safe, though perhaps bold for Boca. (For example, there’s beef tongue on the regular menu, though that shouldn’t be so scary for the many retirees in the area who probably ate beef tongue as children.) I was tempted to try the ramen, given all the ramen-eating I’ve been doing, but $15 seemed expensive for a bowl, and reports (including photos I’ve seen) are that the broth is a deep brown, which is worrisome.

Cosi Duci is another place I picked, based on research on food message boards. I’d read that the set lunch offers good quality at a reasonable price, with three courses plus focaccia bread for just $10. (There are also a few items available at a la carte.) The day’s menu is available online each morning, though the day we went, it hadn’t yet posted when we walked out the door. Turns out we hit a meatless day, but the food (served family-style for the three of us) was ample and overall satisfying:

Focaccia bread

Split pea soup

Penne with vegetables

Eggplant rollatini

The focaccia and penne were a bit plain to me, and I’d describe the soup as bean more than pea. The eggplant was the highlight of the meal–very tasty. Cosi Duci is best-known as an Italian bakery, and I did enjoy the goodies I bought for later, including a cannoli with filling that was refreshingly not over-sweet, as well as raspberry linzer tarts.

Anxious to show off his appreciation of Asian food, my father took us to Shinju Japanese Buffet one night. This mini-chain draws big crowds enticed by the all-you-can-eat environment. You can pick out meats and vegetables for quick-cooking by wok or Mongolian grill. There are also endless steam tables full of General Tso’s-like dishes, and looking around at the tables (including my own), there were massive amounts of fried food being consumed. I focused on the sushi bar, filling my plate (and another, and another) with sushi and sashimi (ignoring the plentiful rolls), supplemented by miso soup and seaweed salad:

I must admit that the sushi, freshly prepared in view, was better than I expected, though I don’t want to think about the source of the seafood–or much of the other food, either. Even more frightening is how much the diners would partake of the dessert buffet after eating so much of the other food.

Although it’s the farthest of the three airports near Boca Raton, I like flying in or out of Miami because it usually enables us to eat one better meal before going to Boca. This time around, I wanted to find an easy stop between the airport and Boca, so some research led me to Red Light Little River. The restaurant is located on the ground floor of the Blu Motel (previously known as the Gold Dust Motel) in what has been known as the Red Light District of Miami. Upon landing after flying cross-country, outdoor seating along the river (we saw herons and were told we could see manatees during the day) felt right on a warm winter’s night, though it resulted in dark food photos.

We were pleased with the quality of the food and the fair pricing. A true trip to the south!

“Saints Will Win” gumbo and rice ($9, though not true, as the Saints lost)

Spinach salad with organic eggs, caramelized vidalia onions, and house-smoked bacon ($8)

Crab-stuffed anaheim pepper floating in vine-ripe tomato little neck clam stew ($15)

BBQ shrimp and dip bread ($10 for a half-order, and probably would be great with grits)

Whiskey raisin bread pudding with vanilla ice cream ($5)

The scene of the delicious crime

Since well before I moved to the Pacific Northwest in 1999, I’ve wanted to visit Tofino on Vancouver Island. Looking at my Rand McNally road atlas, I’d long noticed that it’s the northernmost town on the Pacific Coast of the island that’s reachable by a red line, meaning a principal highway.

In fact, there don’t seem to be any other Pacific coastal towns to the north reachable by paved road; Winter Harbour at the upper end of the island is accessible by unpaved road, and it’s technically on Quatsino Sound, which leads in from the ocean.

Being on the Pacific and bestowed with many fine beaches, Tofino is a town full of “surfer dudes” (the total population is about 2,000), so the lifestyle is rather laid-back. Still, if you don’t surf, there are many other sensual pleasures to enjoy, even (or should I say especially) during inclement weather. So join me as we go to the remote town of Tofino, where we stamp this week’s Passport to Pleasure—a hedonistic quest for great food and good times for two, from nibbles to naughtiness.

Getting There

It’s possible to fly directly into Tofino (from a Canadian city), but to get a full sense of the “end of the road” location, you’ll want to drive from Victoria. The Victoria Clipper is an easy way to make the trip from Seattle to Victoria with an enjoyable three-hour ride, but another option is Kenmore Air. Leaving from Lake Union, you get a spectacular view of Seattle upon takeoff, and then it’s a quick and scenic one-hour flight until your seaplane lands in Victoria’s inner harbor. It’s a fun and romantic way to start your trip, especially if you’ve never taken a plane that’s landed on water.

Boarding the plane

Scenic view of Seattle

From Kenmore Air’s terminal in Victoria, it’s a very easy walk to National Car Rental, where you can pick up a car for the drive to Tofino. There are interesting stops you can make along the way, particularly for food (including True Grain Bread/Hilary’s Cheese at Cowichan Bay, and the Nanaimo Bar trail in Nanaimo), but it’s hard to pass up the previously discussed Fol Epi for the most amazing albacore tuna sandwiches.

If you can handle the temptation, hold off on eating those sandwiches until you reach Qualicum Beach (yes, it’s right near the source of those delicious scallops) where you can enjoy a picnic with a great view of the Strait of Georgia before crossing to the west coast of the island. You might also want to check out Coombs Old Country Market in Parksville if you want snacks or beverages for your ride, an interesting assortment of international foods to bring home, or a view of the goats on the store’s roof (really).

You’re now ready to take Route 4 to cut across the island. In wintery weather, keep a watch of the BCHighway Cams website for road conditions, as there are two tricky passes to traverse. (If you’re feeling the despair of snowy travel, breathe deep and enjoy the stunning “powdered sugar” look of the trees and mountains.) By the first, Port Alberni Summit, it’s worth a stop at Cathedral Grove. You can park for just a few minute to get a feel for the forest of towering Douglas fir trees, or if you have more time, take advantage of the network of hiking trails.

The town of Port Alberni is a possible mid-island stop of civilization that’s actually a port, at the head of Alberni Inlet. From there, the road gets more challenging as you approach Sutton Pass. At the start of the descent, you’ll feel like you’re in a car commercial, demonstrating aerodynamic properties as you navigate the road while it winds, with steep grades, as if plotted by a child or drunkard before finally reaching the coast. (There’s an information center just before the intersection.) Left takes you to Ucluelet, but you’re turning right (and staying on Route 4) for the remainder of the drive north to Tofino.

What to Do: Clayoquot Oyster Festival

Time it right, and the oyster lover in you can enjoy the annual Clayoquot Oyster Festival. Why a festival? Clayoquot Sound is a coveted cultivar of the bivalve, annually growing over 50,000 gallons of oysters. (Festival-goers consume over 8,000!) While the festival offers numerous activities, you’ll certainly want to check out the colorful Mermaid’s Ball. This is one of many times during the year when the townspeople of Tofino let their hair down, dressing in costumes and dancing the night away. Refreshments include an abundance of oysters served raw or barbequed in the “oyster pit,” and there are competitions for the likes of best costume and best oyster slurper.

Tofino locals shucking and showing off the fashion

Jellyfish lamps

In Tofino, love for oysters starts early

The culmination of the festival is the Oyster Gala, in which many of the locals shed their crazy costumes in favor of something more elegant. Here you’ll enjoy beer and wine tasting, along with more raw and barbequed oysters. But the highlight is that selected local restaurants serve samplings of the honored oysters prepared in diverse ways.

What Else to Do

You can find indoor activities if you like, from touring the Tofino Brewing Company to taking in regional art at the Eagle Aerie Gallery. But in Tofino, you want to take advantage of the terrific outdoors.

If you’re here for the Oyster Festival, Remote Passages puts on an educational oyster farm tour that will make you further appreciate what you’re eating. You’ll see the pristine waters of Lemmens Inlet, where lines of oysters (an eco-system unto themselves) are kept until it’s time to harvest. You’ll even get to sample the freshest oyster you can possibly imagine.

The oyster farm tour is a special event help just one day per year, but Remote Passages offers numerous other trips as they try to preserve the ecological value and timeless wonder of the sound. You can do a whale watch trip to spot gray whales (and more), a full-day hot springs trip (which includes a soak, a walk in an ancient rainforest, and wildlife spotting), and bear watch trip. Remote Passages also assists with sea kayaking trips.

Remote Passages takes you to the oyster farm

Clean water and a beautiful day

Oysters have their own eco-system

As fresh as can be

As you might expect, there are fantastic hiking trails both in and out of Pacific Rim National Park. The Schooner Trail, one kilometer in each direction, is at the north end of Long Beach, and is especially good at low tide. (Knowledge of tides is important in Tofino!) Or try Combers Beach Trail, which winds through Sitka spruce forest and reaches a beach where you can see trees stunted by winds and the ocean’s salt. Choose just about any beach in the area and you’ll cherish views that are well worth the effort of traveling to Tofino.

The fauna of Tofino

South of Tofino, in Ucluelet, you can take a walk on the wild side on the Wild Pacific Trail. The windy trails reveal spectacular scenery as you go through coastal temperate rainforest with take in views of Barkley Sound to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west (and south). There’s a 2.6 kilometer loop that is easy and picturesque.

View from the Wild Pacific Trail

Animal or vegetable?

Maybe the main reason to visit late fall or winter is storm watching. It sounds strange to travel so far for a weather experience you might dislike at home, but the powerful beauty of the sights and sounds of the wind and waves is captivating—whichever side of the window you’re on.

Beach view

Moments later

Looking down

A few minutes later

One minute later

Where to Stay I: Long Beach Lodge

If you go bananas for beachfront views, Long Beach Lodge Resort is hard to beat. The lodge has 41 luxury rooms, most with ocean views. The staff is warm and friendly, and amenities include waterproof rain jackets to help insure you’ll talk advantage of beach walks right in your backyard. You’ll be tempted to explore the beach before or after breakfast, during the day, and especially in the evening to watch as the sun sets. If you’re cold or tired, take in the view from your soaker tub.

Wake to a buffet breakfast (included in your rate, with other meals available at additional charge) in the scenic Great Room, where you can linger over coffee while watching the beach come to life.

Long Beach Lodge suite

The view from the room

Looking back at the Lodge

The breakfast buffet will help you wake up

The Great Room at the Lodge, where you can enjoy your meals

The beach in the morning

Sunset on the sand

A last look at the waves rolling in

A couple enjoys an evening kiss

Where to Stay II: The Wickaninnish Inn

Just north of Long Beach is Chesterman Beach, which provides a dramatic setting for the spectacular Wickanninish Inn. Each of the 75 guest rooms and suites boasts a fireplace, soaker tub, and balcony that offers ocean or beach views. The Wick, as it’s affectionately called, is a Relais & Châteaux property, coveting the “5 C’s”: charm, courtesy, character, cuisine, and calm.

This is an elegant and yet unstuffy property, with lots to explore. The Lookout Library has historic artifacts, a DVD library, and dramatic Chesterman Beach views. The Driftwood Lounge is a relaxing place for breakfast or a snack throughout the day. A fitness center will help you burn calories, though there are walks right outside, including a rainforest beach loop trail.

The Wick is home to the luxurious Ancient Cedars Spa. This is a full-service spa that offers extensive body and aesthetic treatments. You can indulge in a couples massage or more extensive package, perhaps in the “Rainforest Haven” or “Cedar Sanctuary.” There’s a relaxing eucalyptus steam room, and you’ll always remember sitting outside, even in the cold, wrapped in blankets with tea while enjoying a foot soak and forest/water view before your main treatment.

When you return to your room after dinner, you’ll appreciate the turndown service and the sultry sounds of Diana Krall on your Bose system. Do you throw on provided raingear and take a romantic walk on the beach to experience the pounding surf? Head to the double-soaker tub? Snuggle in front of the fireplace and picture window? You can do all three, perhaps in that order.

A spectacular setting for a hotel

A luxurious room at the Wickaninnish Inn

The view from the room

A chance to lounge…in the Lounge

The view from the spa

Surfers enjoying the water

Romantic, stunning strolls on Chesterman Beach, even during storms

Where to Eat: The Pointe Restaurant

The Pointe Restaurant at the Wickaninnish Inn was built meticulously so that, anchored on the rocks overlooking Chesterman Beach, diners can appreciate a 240-degree view of the pounding Pacific surf. There’s even a speaker system (with microphones outside) that enables diners to feel like they’re outside, in the midst of a major storm.

Some settings are forever memorable. This is one of them.

The food is fabulous, too. The cuisine is built upon coastal seafood, the island’s farm-fresh ingredients, and a discriminating selection of Pacific Northwest Wines.

Scallop amuse bouche

Medicine Farms organic winter greens with endive, frozen Okanagan grapes, almond & ginger granola, and vanilla & lemon yogurt

Qualicum scallop sashimi with Meyer lemon, grapefruit, and pomegranate

Cumin chicken broth with braised chicken, beans, coriander, and lime

Long Pepper duck breast with buckwheat spätzle, smoked plum, anise, radicchio, and orange

Smoked albacore tuna with squash boulanger, pancetta, endive, and brown butter jus

Sauvignon blanc-poached Bartlett pears with spiced brioche, Wisers Whiskey candies, hops ice cream, chocolate paint, and micro-greens (Note: Pastry Chef Matt Wilson offers both conventional and unconventional dessert menus. I wish my appetite would have allowed me to explore more of the unconventional dessert menu, which includes savory elements and other twists. In the future, hopefully…)

Where to Eat: Spotted Bear Bistro

At Spotted Bear Bistro, Vince Fraissange is at the helm behind the hand-milled, salvaged cedar bar that fronts the open kitchen. Fraissange, who worked previously at La Crocodile and Lumiere, and sailed the world as a private chef on yachts, is now grounded in Tofino taking advantage of seasonal and local ingredients. You’ll see this play out in his tasty take on pho, which includes pork and prawn patties, as well as smoked albacore tuna. Albacore plays the starring role in a perfect balanced tartare spiked with soy truffle vinaigrette. This intimate, friendly bistro features a simple menu; look for one soup, one salad, a pizza and pasta, and some protein offerings, like pan-seared Fraser Valley duck breast in various preparations. Best bet is to turn control over to the kitchen in going with a four-course tasting menu for $60.

Tartare: Albacore tuna, cucumber, soy truffle vinaigrette, warm toasts

Pho: Vietnamese style noodle soup, smoked Albacore tuna, pork & prawn patties,
fresh herbs, sprouts, lime

Duck: crispy pan-seared Fraser valley breast, potatoes, leeks, confit short rib ragout, and port wine gastrique

Dessert: Chocolate pot du creme

Chef Vince Fraissange in the kitchen

Where to Eat: Other

There are many places to try fish and chips in Tofino. Some say Shelter does it best.

Fish and chips: beer-battered lingcod, Shelter house-cut fries, basil-mint coleslaw, tartar sauce, and malt vinegar

Pacific lingcod burger: lingcod fillet, basil-mint coleslaw, lettuce, tomato, mayo, and onion ring

SoBo stands for Sophisticated Bohemian. This food truck turned restaurant uses fresh, local ingredients to serve diverse dishes in a cheery environment.

Inside SoBo

Smoked wild fish chowder: wild salmon in a creamy dill broth

Speaking of food trucks, Tacofino is so popular that its operators applied for (and received) one of the coveted positions of new food trucks in Vancouver. The Tofino location still draws long lines for its delicious soup, tacos, burritos, and, of course, the sinfully delicious chocolate Diablo cookies, spiked with cayenne pepper.

Lining up for food

Even when it’s cold, Tacofino will warm you up

Up close with a burrito and taco

Note:

• Clayoquot Sound photo (second from top), Alberni Highway photo, and Clayoquot intertidal fauna photo courtesy of Tourism Vancouver Island – ChrisCheadle.com.
• Long Beach Lodge Resort photos (suite, “Looking back at the lodge,” breakfast buffet, and Great Room) courtesy of Long Beach Lodge Resort, Tofino.
• Wickaninnish Inn photos (“spectacular setting,” “luxurious room,” spa, Chesterman Beach” courtesy of The Wickaninnish Inn, as are the “Lounge” photo (taken by Chris Pouget) and the “surfers” photo (taken by Wayne Barnes).

Planning a return to Victoria, I wondered: Would I find bliss in more wintery weather?

Snow, ice, rain, and cold weather couldn’t keep me from again enjoying my journey. With thanks to Kenmore Air and Victoria Clipper for fighting adverse weather, my partner and I had another great getaway with wonderful walks, spectacular food, and moments of relaxation. The secret of success seemed to always boil down to six letters. I’ll explain more as we go back to Victoria, where we stamp this week’s Passport to Pleasure—a hedonistic quest for great food and good times for two, from nibbles to naughtiness.

Six Letters: Spa Day

Our base was the Magnolia Hotel & Spa, a 64-room hotel conveniently located in walking distance of both Kenmore and the Clipper, as well as many of the major sites. This makes it easy to stop by your room to dry off or warm up in the midst of your outdoor activities, whether a horse-drawn carriage ride or a walk through Abkhazi Garden, “a garden that love built.”

The Magnolia is a good place for indoor relaxation, especially if you arrange one of their Date Night packages. If you “Declare a Spa Date,” your one-night stay will include a 30-minute Spa Magnolia couples massage, chocolate fondue for two in the spa lounge or your room, and deluxe continental breakfast when you wake up in the morning.

You can customize your spa experience and make it a longer stay if you’d like, as there’s a wide range of services available. You might want to take the opportunity to try a hot stone massage. You and your partner will relax side-by-side as your practitioners use heated basalt stones (incredibly smooth) from Vancouver Island’s shores to relax your minds and bodies. This treatment is especially beneficial for increased circulation, lymphatic drainage, and relief of tension.

Spa waiting room (Photo courtesy of Magnolia Hotel & Spa, Victoria, BC)

Hot stones for treatment

Guest room with a view (Photo courtesy of Magnolia Hotel & Spa, Victoria, BC)

Magnolia Hotel & Spa by night (Photo courtesy of Magnolia Hotel & Spa, Victoria, BC)

Six Letters: Lunch(e)s

Well, it’s not the word “lunch” that’s six letters, but the coincidence that so many of Victoria’s best lunch places contain exactly six letters. For example, last time around, I raved about Devour, which continues to be an excellent dining destination.

Fol Epi remains a remarkable favorite. The croissants are good (though they fall short of what you’ll find in Paris). Stunning are the albacore tuna sandwiches. (It’s on the right, with a wild sockeye and tomato sandwich on the left.) You’ll never want another tuna sandwich again, as the bread is delicious and the tuna chunks are spiked with a little wasabi:

PiCNiC is a fun little soup, sandwich, and salad stop close to the hotel. Fill out a tiny little form to order a freshly made sandwich, or pick from the day’s specials, which will also include a couple of soups and a salad or two. You’re free to sample the soups and to do combinations with half or whole portions. The food is delicious.

Many people stop in for a coffee (and, if early, a breakfast bite), but be sure to check out the other drinks. The house-made ginger ale is delightful, and the lavender lemonade has a huge following. And, yes, there are picnic tables (orange) outside.

Curried chicken with avocado on a baguette, along with chorizo, kale, and potato soup

A perky salad that included red lentils and pomegranate seeds, along with a “chef’s choice” sandwich of Calabrese salami, oven-roasted turkey breast, mozzarella, tomato, avocado, mixed greens, roasted zucchini, goat cheese, and veggie spread

Eclectic is the best word to describe the menu at Relish Food and Coffee. Chef Jamie Cummins, formerly at Sooke Harbor House, is playful in the kitchen, making most everything in-house, from breads to bacon and granola to gnocchi. You’ll relish espresso and baked goods in the morning in the bright, open space with bold art on the walls.

Relish’s lunch offers soup, salads, and sandwiches, but you might also find ramen (house-made noodles, of course), banh mi, and tagliatelle on the colorful menu board which changes daily and is subject to squiggles as items inevitably sell out. Diverse ingredients like sauerkraut, kabocha squash, and ancho chiles are likely to appear on your dishes. Be sure to check the side dishes, visible through the showcase. (Visit Relish’s Facebook page for a current photo of the colorful chalkboard displaying the daily menu.)

A bowl of albacore tuna balls with bok choy, fingerling potatoes, and a poached egg in kimchi broth

Banh mi with pork belly, house pork terrine, pickles, cilantro, and kimchi cucumber

This beet (including the greens) and poached pear salad is terrific

The day’s menu

Six Letters: Sip (of) Tea

There’s something romantic about strolling through Victoria’s Chinatown, the oldest in Canada. Take photos of your partner in Fan Tan Alley, which will offer some interesting backdrops. As in any Chinatown, the little markets are fun, as you and your companion can discover foods that may be completely new to you. There are some more modern stores to explore; the food lover in you will enjoy Nood, which describes its kitchenware, furniture, and more as “new objects of desire.”

While in Chinatown, enjoy some alternatives to Afternoon Tea. Silk Road (like The Fairmont Empress, discussed in the last Victoria report) is in the area, but for something different, how about two contrasting experiences right across from each other? At Venus Sophia, you can sit in the quaint tea room and have some vegetarian snacks:

Or, across the street, visit Fan Tan Café for bubble tea and some far-from-vegetarian bites:

Six Letters: Skinny(Tato)

Okay, so “Skinny” is just the first part of the restaurant name. The full name is Skinnytato Polish Restaurant, and Katherina Koper and her crew cook the meat and potatoes of her homeland, including latkes (potato pancakes), which one of her children called a “skinny tato.” The small ones are tasty:

The name sounds funny, but this is a special restaurant that’s a relatively hidden gem in Victoria. While host/owners Greg and Katherina Koper will make you feel like you’re in their home, the setting of this small restaurant with its red walls is actually romantic in its old world charm, especially after dark:

The food is fun for a change of pace, and you can get Polish beer to pair with it. Here is an extra-large potato pancake stuffed with goulash (there are other choices), which comes with four small salads, one of which is now called “skinnytato” (made with shredded cabbage, carrots, apples, and onion):

Another option is a combination plate with a variety of pierogies, cabbage rolls, and a Polish sausage:

Six Letters: Oak Bay

Oak Bay is one of the most interesting (and oldest) neighborhoods of Victoria. If you’re feeling ambitious, you can walk from the hotel, but it’s easily accessible by bus if you don’t have a car. Once there, you’ll want to take a walk to the marina, where you’ll enjoy scenic views of the Pacific Ocean, the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and perhaps Mount Baker in the distance.

In Oak Bay Village, you can visit many boutiques, art galleries, and bookstores. To whet your appetite, you might want to stop at Ottavio Italian Bakery & Deli to sample some of the delicacies.

But unless you’re spending a full day in Oak Bay, don’t fill up, because you’re having dinner at one of the best restaurants in Victoria: Vis-à-Vis Wine & Charcuterie Bar. Vis-à-Vis (that’s almost six letters) is a cozy spot that serves spectacular food. Your server will provide thoughtful recommendations of wine to pair with each course. You can even get one-inch pours if you’re pacing yourself to sample as a large number of the many BC wines available.

The menu is divided into sections that include “hot,” “cold,” “fondue,” and “finger food.” Flavor combinations are fascinating (for example, seared scallop with salted licorice glaze) and the wide variety of offerings is tempting. In a word, the food is delicious, and you’ll find this a fascinating and romantic place for your first or final food adventure in Victoria. Some of the dishes:

Organic Cimmaron romaine with lamb bacon, croutons, crème fraiche, and garlic scape dressing

Hot-smoked trout with rosemary crème fraiche, crispy sea lettuce, and trout roe

Tempura lollipop duck wing with persimmon & habanero sauce

Smoked bacon custard brulee with roasted squash, baby kale, orange, crispy ham, and pumpkin seed praline (perhaps the most memorable dish I ate in Victoria!)

Grilled octopus with squid ink fettucine, salsa verde, and chorizo

Smoked sablefish confit with caraway choucroute, 67-degree egg yolk, pomme puree, and lemon confit

A little taste of bison heart from the charcuterie menu, along with an even smaller taste of deliciously stinky Langres cheese from France

Churros with maple bacon sugar and white chocolate apple sauce, perfectly paired with Lustau East Indian Solera sherry

Six-Letter Conclusion about Victoria: Superb!

Now, back to October, when my first trip took me through Oakland, and afforded me the opportunity to try Hawker Fare. It was fantastic. It’s reasonably priced with quick service, and the food is bold and bright. I started with this green papaya salad:

And then took my server’s suggestion in ordering the “24hr Pork Belly ‘tom khem’ style with five spice, sweet soy and preserved vegetable mustard.” I like that the restaurant includes authentic ingredients like dried shrimp and preserved vegetables, and this pork belly with rich, filling, and completely fulfilling:

Bright and early the next morning I headed to Atlanta. This would be a very quick stay, but I managed one meal at Holeman and Finch Public House. This is a very popular place, and even at 11pm I had to wait nearly an hour for a table. Bar noise spills over to the small dining area, but when my food arrived, I was at peace, as the menu offers many intriguing possibilities that appeal to an offal lover like me. First, though, some succotash with sweet peppers and vidalia onions–a rich vegetable start to the meal:

Next up: pan fried-rabbit livers with pole beans and pickled peaches, an interesting and fun combination of ingredients:

The “Parts” part of the menu had bone marrow, veal sweetbreads, and more (plus, I was told that the house hot dog is something special), but I chose the veal brains with black butter as a very hearty way to end this delicious dinner:

The day after returning to Seattle, it was off to the Yakima Valley, with that experience documented here. From there, I had a quick trip to eastern Oregon, which included a nice stop at the Great Pacific Wine and Coffee Co. in Pendleton. This seems to be a perfect place to enjoy a meal and some live music on selected nights. My stay, though, would be brief (and without live music, though I was pleased to hear Peter Himmelman on the speakers) but enjoyable as I noshed on this “beast” sandwich (roast beef with pepperjack, garlic, sweet onions, and stoneground mustard on sourdough) and a Caesar salad:

It was back to the east coast the following week, with a meal at Zafra in Hoboken, New Jersey. This cute little Cuban Latino restaurant gets good reviews. What I ordered turned out to be more potato-heavy than I intended, with those dishes a little sweeter than expected, such as the classic patatas bravas (in spicy tomato and smoked paprika sauce):

For the main course, I got steered toward the enchiladas de pollo (chicken-filled enchiladas with a green tomatillo- hoja santa sauce, served with refried beans and Mexican crema). Like the other dishes I tried, it was good, though not amazing:

Most disappointing about the experience was being told I could try one of their acclaimed spiced hot drinking chocolates (apparently very rich) at their little shop just around the corner. But while that shop had chocolate bars for sale, they said that the restaurant was the place for drinking chocolate. Frustrated, I gave up.

I’d find better Latino food the next day at Valencia Luncheria in Norwalk, Connecticut. This is a sweet little spot doing a bustling business–testimony to its quality. Overwhelmed by arepa and empanada choices (including some sweet choices, like chocolate & plantain), I ultimately ordered a lunch platter with a pernil (Venezuelan pork roast) arepa, chicken liver empanada, ceviche, rice and beans, and avocado:

Valencia was a fun stop on the way to Rhode Island, where I had some late night work. Hours later, looking for a snack to hold me over, I read good reviews about a place called Pick Pockets in Smithfield. Good food in a gas station? Why not! Here’s the interior:

The friendly workers described my many choices, and I happily settled upon a “pocket” with lamb and falafel, loaded with toppings and spiked with spicy hot sauce:

The next day took me on a long road trip to Binghamton, New York, where I was faced again with lack of time for a proper meal. Due to the September flooding that devastated the city, hotel choices were limited, and I found myself doing an unusual stay at Traditions at the Glen, situated on a golf course. I took my meal in the tavern, and had one of the most nondescript burgers and fries:

After brief time back in Seattle, I headed back to Atlanta, this time with time to have perhaps my best road trip meal of the second half of the year. Online, I scouted out a place called One Eared Stag, a fairly new restaurant in a funky part of the city. First of all, the space is gorgeous. You walk into a fun little bar area, and then turn into a very open dining room with a communal/large group table in the center. The bookcase sports the best collection of cookbooks. And the food…

I started with confit chicken wings cooked in duck fat, served with aged (year-old), cured hot sauce and buttermilk dressing:

Next, a beautiful plating of candela fuoco radishes with whipped lardo and radish top gremolata. This seems almost silly to order, but the radishes were bursting with flavor, with that lardo adding intense richness:

As for an entree, I was torn. As at Holeman and Finch, there was a housemade hot dog that looked promising. A BLT with pork fat mayo and a fried egg called to me, as did a lighter option of a Virginia lump crab roll. I watched a country fried pork chop with squash succotash and tomato jam come out of the kitchen, and was almost sold. But I went with what was at the top of the list: “pork & beans” made with belly, chorizo, and Italian white beans, topped with a housemade chicharron:

Stunningly delicious. Someone said something about dessert, but I was simply too stuffed, and satisfied, to go further.

I was hungry late that night, so I stopped at Penang for a comforting bowl of Asian noodles. It was minutes before closing time, but they were happy to send out Penang kari mee (noodles in spicy lemongrass-coconut curry with shredded chicken, shrimp, and “oiler” tofu) that hit the spot:

I had a weekend at home and then another quick trip east to finish the month. Cleveland meant hope for a chance to check out a Michael Symon restaurant, but with very limited time (an all-too-familiar theme), the best I could manage was his B Spot Burgers chain. These are upscale burgers in a casual setting, so I settled in with a “Yo!” burger with fried salami, coppa, hot peppers, provolone, and shasha hot sauce (and a side of Lola fries with sea salt and rosemary):

The burger was decent, though the fries were forgettable. I was tempted to try a vanilla bean apple pie bacon shake, but that seemed over-the-top. I did avail myself of the pickle bar with lots of interesting offerings, and finished up my meal and another year on the road: